Finding their way back home
by Kayjolie
Summary: It's being over a year since Emma and Henry are living on the own. Regina, Snow and Charming are living on the Enchanted forest. Finally they find their way back to each other.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER. NOT MINE. NOT NOW, NOT EVER.**

It was Emma's birthday and she arrived home at the sound of what it felt like a mob on her kitchen. Grunting she came into the kitchen to find her son finishing the last details of a birthday cake and surrounded by probably the biggest mess she had ever witnessed. "wow Henry... this is..." was all she managed to say not sure about if complaining about the dirty kitchen or congratulate the kid for cooking a cake for her. The kid simply shrugged and smiled mischievously "Happy Birthday to the prettiest mum all around the world!?" exclaimed and asked trying to avoid getting grounded. Emma giggled and gently kissed her son's head "You are helping me cleaning this mess kid..." They cleaned the kitchen together and talked about their day. Once the cleaning was done Henry explained to his mum that he was not all responsible for the cake as far as he had ordered a simple cake. He had only decorated it himself though he never thought that he would end up decorating the whole kitchen too. Happy and proud Emma she listening to his explanation. She had always wondered from who Henry took after in a few aspects of his life, cooking and being a control freak were two of things they never had in common.

Her birthday and Henry's were one of Emma's favourite days of the year. She always felt complete looking back on those dates and thanking the stars how much she changed after deciding to keep Henry. The feeling of fulfilment was not there this year, something was missing. She had the feeling she was forgetting something and it was really annoying not remembering what. The nagging feeling started about a week and a half ago when a crazy man stood on her door claiming her family needed her and kissed her. She immediately kicked him out but the man had kept trying to contact her. She knew he was lying, probably some con man. As far as she had no other family than Henry and he was good no one would need her. However the kiss woke something up inside of her. It was that day when the nagging feeling started. At first it was barely an itch after a week and a half Emma felt like all her body was covered by hives. It was almost physically painful as if someone were squeezing her heart merciless.

Henry and Emma shared a nice meal despite the increasing nervousness conquering Emma. After dinner Henry showed up with the cake as present. Emma was surprised at the sight of the cake, it was amazing. "I don't know how you can do this stuff Henry". The kid looked at her and raised an eyebrow giggling "Oh, you know my other mum taught me... the one I keep hidden inside the oven, the same oven you never use..." Emma grabbed her son and tickled him until the boy was begging for mercy "I know what an oven is, I'm just waiting for you to be old enough to cook all the meals for me kid". Henry smiled and hugged his mother "Ok, you know what's next. Make a wish and blow off the candles". Emma got closer to the cake and smiled at the strawberry letters "luv u mum". She thought she had everything she wished and needed in her life and she got ready to blow the candles.

Suddenly Emma remembered. Images, feelings, memories, pain, happiness, sadness... everything was back all of a sudden. _Regina. _Hell broke loose after the name was said. Emma only had time to grab Henry's hand while a torrent of memories struck both of them while the earth behind them seemed to be undergoing the bigger earthquakes on history.

Once it felt like everything was back in place Emma opened her eyes and looked around her. She was still grabbing Henry's hand and both of them seemed unharmed "You ok Henry?" The boy was staring at something and seemed not to be listening to his mother. "Henry? Kid? Henry!". She was freaking out thinking something was wrong with him. After what it seemed an eternity to Emma he was whispered "You did it, you did it again" and hug his mother as if his life depended on that hug.

Emma released the breath she had no clue she had been holding and lifted her sight feeling Henry was ok. As soon as she looked up she understood Henry's words. They were in a nursery. A crib. Unicorns over the crib. Toys and dolls everywhere. Emma looked inside the crib and smiled at the sight of a sleeping baby covered by a blanket. The blanket was obviously old and had her name on it plus a new one, Samantha. Emma looked at Henry and made sure he looked handsome enough for what was about to come and smiled "We are home kid, and I guess this little one is no other than your new aunt... my sister, baby sister... what a mess, and they talk about dysfunctional families on TV, we are far beyond that. We need to find your grandparents... and..." Henry's eyes widened "my mum! My other mum! I remember!". Emma nodded with tears on her eyes, she remembered too but what she felt was pretty different. The pain of those last minutes in Storybrooke were all she could think about. The way her parents hugged her saying good bye. Regina saying she needed to let go of Henry. How she promised them a good life. Emma remembered the pain on those brown so clearly she could still feel it herself.

Before Emma and Henry were able to leave the nursery the door abruptly opened and all they saw was a group of six men with their swords lifted towards them. Instinct hit Emma who placed Henry behind her immediately though both of them smiled at the familiar growl they heard next.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY! WHO DARE COME INTO THE ROOM OF THE PRINCESS? I'M HAVING YOUR HEADS FOR..." Emma and Henry looked at the woman with half a smile on their faces. They were as happy as scared. The first cursed allowed Regina to remember while the rest of the people from the Enchanted Forest forgot their previous lives. Breaking the curse meant as explained by Regina that all of them would be back home without any memories from Storybrooke. If Snow, Charming and Regina forgot about them Emma knew they were in a pretty bad position being found in the chambers of the heir dressed with clothes from another world. Emma squeezed Henry's hand while both of them stared at the woman and the six men in front of them.

"Leave us. I will deal with them" the woman said. Emma saw the doubt on the eyes of all the men but she knew better than to expect them to say anything against the will of the woman so in a second the six of them were gone and the woman was left alone with the baby and the strange visitors. "Why are you here? And I swear as the Queen that I am that I will kill you two myself if you try to harm that baby". Emma felt odd, she knew the woman in front of her but something was really off of her and she was not sure about what to say next. "It was my birthday. It seems I made the right wish and we are here. True love. Happy Endings. We are home." Henry quickly moved away from his mother and quickly added "She means we are back home on the Enchanted Forest. Storybrooke is gone and that was our other home. Do you remember that? We are a family, we always find each other" Emma looked at the kid and couldn't help but put a sad smile on her face, the kid was always filled with hope even in moments when it seemed there was none. Emma wanted to believe as much as Henry did but she knew very well that not stories have a happy ending and their ending could have being the farewell in Storybrooke a year ago.

The brunette woman got closer to them a draw a shy smile on her face "Who am I?" asked looking at Emma with a mix of hope and defiance on her eyes. "Mary Margaret Blanchard in Storybrooke. Snowhite, Queen Snow for what you said before." The woman looked at Henry and back again at Emma "Who. am. I.?" repeated slower this time. Emma's brain tried to find out what was the right answer till she heard the baby doing some noises behind them and understood the question. The woman was testing how far along their memories went what it was good because if she was requiring such information and not denying Mary Margaret's existance it meant she also remembered their time in Maine. "My mother. Henry's grandmother. I'm assuming Samantha is my" Emma had no time to finish the sentence. Snow turned around and opening the nursery doors talked to one of the men in a low voice. The man left and Snow walked back to Henry and Emma. "David is not going to believe it" said while wrapping her arms around Emma and Henry kissing them "your youngest sister, yes".

After David arrived and both Emma and Henry were dressed according the the Enchanted Forest they all sat. They all needed to understand what had happened and how it did happened. Mary Margaret and David were sure Hook had managed to bring them home one way or another. On the other side Henry and Emma wanted to know why they remembered while they forgot and how Hook found his way to them.

Emma was about to explain it was not because of Hook that they were there when Henry decided he was not waiting any longer to find out what he wanted to know. "Guys, I know my mum is the Evil Queen and all that... but where is she? You have her imprisoned? You killed her? Someone did? Where is my mum? She was not bad, she is my mum. If you kept her memories so did she and you must remember she helped us a lot. She is not evil. I want her. She is my mum..." The kid started his speech on a loud tone but when he was done his voice was only the voice of a child who missed and wanted his mum. Snow looked at her grandson and smiled, she was about to start explaining the kid what happened to Regina when David squeezed her hand to make her stop. "I am here Henry" Emma could not remember a time when Henry reacted that fast ever. She barely had time to process the fact that Regina was there and Henry was already hugging her with all his strength, sobbing and mumbling how sorry he was for hurting her and telling time after time that he loved her and missed her. Regina kissed and hugged the boy back soothing him the best she could but it seemed impossible.

Emma stared open mouthed. Regina looked great, greater even if possible, but she looked pretty different from the woman she said good bye to a little longer than a year ago. Regina finally pushed Henry after a few minutes towards his family and they sat with the them. The Queen had changed but she was not able to hold herself for any longer and she finally spoke to Emma "I could expect this behaviour from the Sheppard boy your father is, but I see you really take after him, dearie. Whilst it is good to see you again Ms Swam you seriously need to work on being on time, you took a lot longer than you should". Emma was speechless and expected her parents to defend her as they used to do and to say something in return to Regina's comment but nothing happened. David looked at his sword as if he was not involved on the comparison while Mary Margaret kept on looking at her grandson clearly ignoring what was around her. Both of them seemed to not have listened to Regina's punch and that left Emma more speechless if possible wondering if they were under some spell or something. It was not good to see Regina and her parents fighting but it was really weird. Henry was about to ask Regina to behave a little when Mary Margaret finally grinned at her daughter "Sure you two missed your fights but you'll have time later. Now Regina, explain why you are not surprised of having your son and Emma here and why you are here right now as far as I just send the guards to inform you".

Emma looked from her mother to Regina expecting something in the middle of a sassy snarky comment and a flying ball of fire from the older woman aimed towards her mother, but all the older woman did was chuckle and kiss Henry's forehead once more while looking at Emma with curiosity. Henry looked up at his mother knowing that a year ago a chuckle would not had being the answer to his grandmother so he looked straight into Regina's eyes and smiled snuggling against her. There was not a single drop of the Evil Queen there and Henry felt the brunette squeezing him,. The kid was smart and he was sure that whatever made Emma to bring them to the Enchanted Forest was for sure casted by Regina. Emma on the other had was simply speechless, a year ago Snow and the Evil Queen were barely able to work together for a reason that was not Henry and there were they sitting and surrounded by what it semed a fair truce."Anyone up to explain me why you three aren't killing each other?"

Mary Margaret looked from her husband to Regina and nodded "We all remember how we were saved and we have managed to leave the past where it belongs. At least most of us and most of our pasts. In Storybrooke Regina explained the price she would have to save all of us, that was giving Henry up because she was the thing she loved the most. She saved us all but she gave you two a life. Most of the kingdom is thankful for what she did with you two. I, we, your father and I, will always be grateful because she protected you two when in fact what everyone expected from her was to safe herself and Henry. Despite of everything she managed to save us all and to give you a good life, the life she was saying good bye to was yours to live Emma. We watched you leave accepting that the woman standing there protecting you at the cost of her own happiness was not the woman we all met here. I always thought that there was some way to cheat and that she could have let us all die and leave with Henry, but she didn't, she did the right thing letting you and Henry leave.

Next I remember, we remember is being back here in the Enchanted Forest but for some reason we all kept our memories from Storybrooke. It was crazy. Some people wanted to kill Regina while others wanted to give her a new chance. For many people keeping you alive and protecting you was a serious reason to forgive her. The logic said that once back here she'd be back to her old ways but she had saved you two and the last months back in Maine she was not such a …she was not herself or she was herself and not the other self. Anyway, she looked different for months and we discussed things. She could have just made sure that you would loose Henry because she had to say goodbye to him but she did not. Motherhood changed her and I decided we were giving her a new chance. Regina on the other side decided she was not up to have another chance. I was about to say she was under our protection when she opened her big mouth claiming she was no longer the Queen and that the Kingdom belonged to us. She has being lying low, fixing things around the kingdom with her magic and enjoying spoiling Samantha. Since we arrived your father has being ruling the kingdom because I was pregnant when we arrived and he and Regina teamed up to make me relax so I could have a healthy baby. The few times someone tried to fight your father the mere presence of Regina standing side by side with him made them step back. Weird, I know..."

Snow kept talking about how they have managed to rule the kingdom pretty well despite the mixed memories from two different worlds but Emma was not listening. She was simply staring at Regina, she was looking for a hint of the woman she met when Henry found her but all she could see was the woman that pretty much stood by her side during the last year. The anger, the revenge, the pain, were not on their eyes any longer. She looked regal but not snotty any longer. Lost on her own thoughts Emma was clearly ignoring her mother as far as ruling a kingdom was something that held no interest for her but as soon as Regina spoke Emma was brought back to reality. "I would say it is pretty rude not paying attention to your mother's words, much more when she happens to be the Queen Ms Swam". The blonde looked at her mother and her father. Davind had a curious look on his eyes looking from her daughter to Regina totally conscious about the bond between them being bigger and stronger that it was a year ago. As Henry David knew that Regina was partly responsbile from Emma bringing Henry and herself back. Smiling David kissed his wife softly and smiled at Emma and Henry. "Ok, I guess we are all more interested in how you two are here than in what your mother was telling you about. So... Emma? Regina?"

Emma immediately raised her hand gesturing at Regina to start, the former Queen nodded and sighed. "When we came back and I saw we all had memories... it was not supposed to be like that. The curse replaced memories, it blocked the memories from here and planted new ones on everyone except me. Same should have happened to us when we came back here after the curse broke. We were supposed to only remember this place and you were supposed to only remember what I placed on your mind. None of us should have ever kept the smaller memory about Storybrooke. There had to be a reason for those memories to remain with us.

I was never meant to be a Queen, it was all Cora's idea. Though I enjoyed being the mayor I never enjoyed being a Queen so I was more than happy to give the crown to Snow and Charming, too much happiness and sweetness all around, but everything has a price... Anyway, I just went back to Rumple's old cell, I checked everything. He gave me the curse and he told me how to break it. He knew you would break the curse. He left that note with your name inked. One way or another he led you to his son... If there was something he never told me about the curse it should be there. As always, I was right and I found something.

All this time I've being reading, studying, casting spells,... I have been increasing the strength of my magic because I found the answer on Rumple's books. If WE had memories that meant that one way or another we were all connected. I knew it was a weak connection but it meant that at some point one of you would remember us. Family, blood, magic and blood. Ms Swam, you and Henry belong to Charming and Snow. Too often Charming told me that no matter what I did you would always find each other. Took me a while but then it hit me how right he was. It was a fact that at some point you or Henry would find a way to get to the Queen or the King. I just needed to wait and get things ready for this day to come. Your mother Ms Swan is a pain and she's being interrogating me every week asking me what I have been doing, how do I spend my free time, what kind of magic I'm doing... Here is you answer Snow. What I did during this year was finding a new spell for all of us, all the kingdom.; a spell that meant a way to go back to Storybrooke if the kingdom wants it. I made sure that once Henry and Emma would be with us we could choose where home is, the Enchanted Forest or Maine. My spell involves all of us going back, including the new babies born in here as Samantha. No one and no memory will be left behind. The price of it is again, choosing. Only a home will exist. Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest though we will remember both of them About why I knew the day was today, my heart knew it. I just used magic to come here that fast. Now, Henry, Ms Swam, Emma... who of you is responsible from finding... them?"

Henry smiled and pointed at his mother. "I don't know what she did, but it was her"

Emma was surprised, she could not say what it was what surprised her the most. The former Queen getting along with the Queen and King. The Evil Queen giving away her place as ruler. The fact that she spent a year making sure she could cast a spell to bring them all back to Storybrooke... or the simple fact that she was able to say her name. Back to reality Emma took a deep breath. She knew they needed to put things together for them to make sense, she was just not ready to say what crossed her mind when everything happened. "About a week and a half or two weeks ago Hook came to our door. He said my family needed me and kissed me." Regina rolled her eyes and made a mental note to kick the pirate to the moon and back next time she laid eyes on him. Emma saw Regina rolling her eyes and smiled "I did the same Regina, though I also kicked him in the... I kicked him. Anyway, after he came to us I started thinking I was forgetting something. At first it was a weak feeling, but as the days passed it was a feeling that started to control all my body. I swear it gave me bloody hives. I couldn't stop thinking it was important but the more I thought about it the less I could remember what it was. The feeling grew stronger inside me and it seemed to explode today. As you all know it is my birthday today," Emma stopped and looked at Henry still snuggling against Regina who never stopped cuddling and caressing the kid. "Henry is truly yours. I mean, he really is Regina's son. He cooked a really nice cake... though he still needs a few lessons about cooking without turning the whole kitchen into a big disaster" Regina kissed her son's forehead and at the sincerity of Emma's words she simply nodded and smiled "guess he is yours too if he is able to make a mess on a kitchen. Thank you Emma". Emma blushed a little and went back to her part of the story. "So I was blowing the candles when... something hit me. Memories came back to me and everything started shaking around us It was like a million of images being thrown at me. I remember thinking.. thinking something that... I cannot exactly described. Everything was shaking and I grabbed Henry and when we opened our eyes again we were at the nursery."

Snow and Charming were smiling at her while Regina was looking at her with curiosity. Emma knew Regina skipped something when she told her story but it was clear Regina knew she had done the same thing. Snow was so happy with the idea of having henry and Emma there that was not paying much attention to the small details around them. David after a year getting used to read Regina's body language knew she was kind of telling a lie and decided to leave his daughter and former enemy to talk. Whatever it was they seemed to need to talk about it.

"OK, I think it is time for us to show you around Henry. Come with your grandmother and me. Emma you look tired, you can stay here if you want." said Charming leaving his chair. Henry looked at both her mothers asking for permission. Regina released him immediately feeling the anxiety and curiosity taking the best of the boy while Emma nodded "Henry go with your grandparents. I think I'm going to just stay here for a little bit."


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER. STILL NOT MINE.**

Emma and Regina stayed where the were and watched Mary Margaret and David take an over excited Henry with them. For a few minutes Regina and Emma remained silent not knowing what to say. Finally it was the brunette who broke the silence. "My room has a nice balcony. We can sit there. I'd like to know everything about Henry during the last year". Emma nodded and left the chair expecting Regina to do the same and lead the way to her chambers but all the former Queen did was to raise an eyebrow and carelessly move her fingers "No need to walk. While I don't kill people or cast evil curses no one cares about me using magic..." Emma looked around and looked back at Regina "Nice..." Regina chuckled "the not being a killer any longer dear?. I would say it's hard enough to deserve something better than nice, but I know you are short of synonyms... You have water and fruit over there if you want some, Emma" The former Sheriff turned and observed the older woman, her body language was as playful and relaxed as her voice so she smiled and sat declining the offer.

They moved towards the balcony and sat there enjoying the sight. Emma immediately started explaining everything to Regina. Henry was starting to pay attention to girls. He was a good student. He loved science and maths and was very good at chemistry. "He really is yours Regina. I think the chemistry thing comes from you and your witchcraft. I always stay around him when he is in the kitchen but the kid is one hell of a cooker, though he is still trying to understand how to cook and not to get all kitchen dirty. He loves reading about everything. You brought up a nice young man. He has your quirks, he rolls his eyes like you. Shrugs like you too. You two even share what I hate the most about you, a weird compulsion to maintain the order around you, kind of control freaks you two are, the need to know and understand everything that surrounds him." Regina smiled with pride and gratitude at the blonde's words and nodded "This past year, I knew he was with you. He would be perfectly safe with you, but it hurt so much... However, it is not Henry who brought US here. It is not one Charming finding another one. Another bond brought you here, am I wrong?"

Emma closed her eyes and considered the answer to the question. She moved to face the brunette and nodded. Regina wanted Emma to keep talking but she had to admit that it would be easier if she was the one starting the next part of the conversation. The former queen spent the last year getting ready for the day Henry and Emma would be back. Emma on the other hand had barely had a few hours to accept everything that was going on around her, so with a sigh Regina started. "Daniel came back to my life for a short period of time while you were in here with Snow. You probably remember what I had to. The thing is that I always thought he was my true love and I never understood his last words to me. I wanted him to stay because I was sure he was my happy ending, but his last words to me were _if you loved me then love again. _He used the past as if I was not in love with him any longer. After... he left I went home and I cried my eyes out. I didn't want to let go of him. I spent days thinking what he meant when he told me that if I ever loved him I needed to let him go and love again. My conclusion was that he was asking me to truly let myself go and be a better mother for my son, that meant allowing him to get to know you and also meant that I would have to learn to share him with you. I thought Daniel meant I needed to give my true love to my son. True love is found between lovers but most frequent is between parents and children. I'm telling you this because until we were back here and I started deciphering why we kept our memories I never fully understood Daniel's words.

For a few days we thought that the memories would vanish sooner or later. Later on we saw they weren't going anywhere. We were keeping all the memories from both our lives thought it was not supposed to be like that. People thought I failed. I'm the Evil Queen I never fail, as simple as that. My magic never fails so I knew there had to be something else. Something Rumplestiskin knew and kept hidden from me. I read every single book or work I could find about magic. I finally understood what was going on. Magic always comes at a price though sometimes it gives small freebies and we were given one, one that could be a blessing or a curse.

People was right about one thing though, it was my fault that we kept all our memories. I said I don't make mistakes and I don't. I simply made a biggest sacrifice than I was required. I gave up what I love the most as needed but the biggest sacrifice was giving him to you and giving both of you up, not only him. There were two choices, giving him up or giving him up making sure he had his best chance.

I could have just giving him up without changing your past. You would have given him up, he would have ended up who knows where and you would... well who knows. The result of doing that would be us back here remembering only who we were here. Giving him up like that would have hurt a lot and was enough to save us.

As I seem to always choose the most difficult road. I did too this time, but for once it was also the best one. I gave him up to save us all the same but I made sure Henry and you remained together and I gave you the best memories I could cast. That did not hurt, that simply broke my heart in a million pieces. Since we met I thought the best for Henry was to be away from you. I thought it was the best for him but I was only being selfish making sure that he would not need any other than me. I fought to keep you away from him and at the end the only way to save my son was giving him up to you so you could raise him. That broke my heart. Magic, my dear, has a funny sense of humour and giving Henry to you must have felt as a redemption because we kept our memories. Those memories were a link to you and him, and by extension a chance to be back home in the future. While we could remember there was a chance of being together. For a year, I have been studying and getting ready, strengthening my magic to be able to bring us back to Storybrooke. I designed a new spell in which the price will be exchanging the Enchanted Forest for Storybrooke. Right now both our world exist. As happened when we were in Main one is alive and the other is sleeping, the thing is that eventually we will need to think if we want to stay here or leave but that is something we will have to think about in common with the rest of the people from the Forest. We have the same reasons to stay as we have to go back truth be said, so we have time.

So for a few months I thought it would be Henry's heart the one that would eventually bring you two to us. I thought he would finally find a way to come back to his grandparents, love conquers it all but blood is strong but there is something else that is stronger.

What I just told it is what I explained before to your parents with more details, but we both kept a part of this out of our previous explanations. I want to keep this between us, if you ever dare to tell this to anyone... you'll be in trouble Ms Swam. I have been holding to my memories, to the good ones. My best memories and the happiest ones belong to Henry. Surprisingly I learnt that you became part of those memories too. I was always good at compartmentalizing my feelings. As usual Ms Swam you always find to annoy me and even when you had no memories of me you managed to be annoying by sneaking and conquering part of my memories becoming part of my good memories. At first it was pictures of you and Henry smiling, playing, eating at granny's, after some time it was you on your own, driving that thing you insist in calling a car, freezing because you seem to ignore the wonders of a coat, your smile, the way to turn your head and look at me when you are about to send me straight to hell,... and later it was just moments we share together, teaching you about magic, explaining you the differences between apples, the way in which we both seem to drive the other insane... I missed my son, I missed his mother, but what I missed the most was you.

There was a chance for a happy ending and it seemed that you were going to be in it as my son's mother. I celebrated Henry's birthday trying to feel him closer until I got him back. I thought birthdays are important days and it could be the perfect portal to bring up his memories but nothing happened. For some reason I decided to do the same thing with yours. I kept myself apart from Snow and Charming on those dates and I'd rather keep it like that, they are way too happy and sweet and... they make my stomach ache with such sweetness. It is your birthday today and as I already explained I wanted to celebrate as a way to keep my son close to me. I cooked a cake and blew a candle. I thought about what Henry would doing, I know he gets all excited about birthdays. I thought you'd be happy having him and though I've known for a long time I missed you I never admitted it till today. Today was the first time I said those words really meaning them, I miss my son, I miss Emma. I missed you because of you not because you were the mother of my son. I wished you a happy birthday and suddenly there was your voice saying my name. You brought my son back. You remembered me, not your parents or friends. It was me and we will have to make sure we understand that because it was not supposed to be like that and it is annoying that even I never fails magic seems to be playing tricks on me"

Emma stared at the older woman, she looked, moved, smiled, she even smelled like Mayor Mills, but it seemed to be a really improved version of herself. Regina's voice was always something that made Emma's body shiver but now it was sweeter, softer and it felt filled with emotions. Emma looked deep into Regina's eyes. Few times Regina lost control in Storybrooke and Emma learnt that the only way to get to understand what she was thinking was through her eyes. Those brown eyes became the best ally for Emma always telling her what Regina never meant to be said. "The first thing I remembered after I remembered is that I missed you too. I missed seeing you walk on those crazy heels, missed the way you just start those silly fights with me, but mostly I missed the way you look at me when you think I don't see it. Don't worry about my parents. I don't want them to know my first thought it was you. I see you are getting along and I'm glad to know that you are not the most hated person here, but... I think I'd rather keep this between us. At least for a little bit. Now ff you want me to explain what happened and the risk of you saying I have the most amazing lack of vocabulary... no clue at all.

When you explained to me, to us that in order to save them you needed to say goodbye to Henry. Soon after arriving in Storybrooke I noticed that what you said and what you wanted to say were different things. It was impossible to understand your moods until I paid attention to your eyes. The look on your eyes always say a lot, back then and right now Regina. You cannot control your eyes and I'm very thankful for that. That awful day, the look on your eyes, it killed me, broke my heart. I agree with Mary, Sn, my... ug... Mary Margaret. You said you were giving us good memories and though I trusted you I never had the chance to see what you did. We went from being your son and your... whatever I was to you to being to normal people. Mary Margaret said she appreciates what you did, I can't do that. I appreciate what you did as much as I hate it because I know it killed you deep inside. There should be more than appreciation to thank you Regina. I wish I could do a great gesture to say thank you that would erase all the pain you felt there and for a year.

I don't know how to take this Regina. My knowledge about magic is none but I know that your curse was enormous. You sacrificed what you loved the most out of hate to cast it and then again you sacrificed what you loved the most to save your people but this time it was out of love. I understood right then that since we met you underwent a change, from villain to hero, but a hero without a happy ending. I felt my heart breaking and now I know why, I was hurting because you were hurting. The Evil Queen would have acted differently; finding a way for her and her son to run away and leaving everyone behind despite of everything. Queen Regina saved her citizens without thinking about it twice.

I wish I could say what happened. Two years ago you started teaching me magic. If back then you would have asked me who would be meant to break and fix something like this I would have said Henry. He believed in fairy tales, happy endings, true love, white knights, evil creatures, and he is related to Snow and Charming by blood. I'm on the other hand the sceptical. I killed a dragon, fought against wraiths, met with Peter Pan, killed ogres and knights while wondering when was the alarm clock to ring... I never saw Red, Granny, the dwarves, the Evil Queen... I saw my friend Ruby, the lovely woman that every morning had a coffee ready for me at her dinner, drunk Leroy pissing me off, and the pain of the ass we had as Mayor. Never paid attention to who you were here, it was not relevant for me.

I am related by blood to Mary Margaret and David, in fact I am much more related to them than Henry is. They should have been the ones making my heart beat again, but it was you Regina. Not them. I was blowing the candle and what it came to my mind was the sight of you blowing a candle, I heard you wishing me a happy birthday and this annoying feeling vanished as soon as I said your name. The memories brought to my mind were all about you. The way you looked at me thinking I was about to let you die in that fire. How you were so close to kill me when I hurt your precious apple tree, I'm really sorry for that by the way. The way in which you look at Henry when you think no one else is paying attention to you. Your voice, your smell, the way your body moves. How you roll your eyes when someone says something you don't want to hear like you are doing right now. I felt like I was home, I could feel your hands trying to reach me. I felt you were just waiting for me to be home and I said your name... and as always happens when you are involved all of a sudden all hell broke loose..." Emma smiled and Regina laughed at the familiar feeling of their fights. "Why you Regina? I don't understand it, well I do but I'm not sure about it. We were always fighting each other for Henry or fighting someone else who tried to hurt my, our son. I guess that we managed to build some kind of weird connexion between us through him. It does not make much sense anyway, right?".

The brunette took a few moments to try to put things in order inside her head. "I think it has more to do with us as women than him. The way you look at me when I told you I would give you good memories. I told you it broke my heart. It did but the way you looked at me it was like you took the pieces from me. I never felt the same here, I did what I had to do but something was missing.

We, you and I, might not be as different from your parents as we want to be, and it hurts like hell to admit so. Charming always managed to beat me and always managed to find Snow. On the other side Snow being as annoying as her husband did the same several times. As I said, magic has a weird senses of humour and it seems fit that we ended up like this, because this is going to be a permanent itch for the four of us...

You saved my life a few times and I did the same for you. I swallowed a death spell so you and Mary Margaret could go back to Storybrooke. I protected you from a few foes, some of your own and some of mine, so they could not hurt you. I did it because I had this idea about no one ever hurting you unless it was me. Sorry for that by the way Ms Swam. A year is long enough to pay attention to small details... I did many things in the name of my son. This is what Henry wants. I can't kill her because of Henry, that was the apple tree day by the way. It was easy to believe I was doing things for him but I was lying to myself, Daniel was right all I needed to change and not being evil was to love again. Small details... your red jacket, the way you always seem to show up uninvited, how you raise your eyebrow, I even miss how you pretend to listen to the council meetings when your head is no closer than the moon is. I did what I did because if felt right even when I had no idea about it."

Emma sat closer to the evil queen and smiled "In Henry's name is a good excuse. You know, being there, done that, got the shirt and all that. I fought harder to make sure you were ok that it was really necessary. I smiled at the way you said Ms Swam. I giggled like a teenager every time I heard your heels coming into the station... Sorry about the meetings, but Archie and Gold could kill anyone just by listening to them talk for an hour. It was you most of the time but it was easier to use Henry as the reason to throw myself in a portal to who knows where after sending the wraith away that saying I wanted you alive.

So then, Henry is clearly out of the equation if we look at it from a serious point of view. You started caring about me because he wanted to and then it was your own will. I started because of him and then I just couldn't handle the idea of you being hurt. Earlier David was staring at us with a funny look, he was looking at each other and grinning like silly. He probably knew what we were thinking."

Emma got closer and whispered "I came to find you. I need you. I love you Regina" and kissed the brunette softly on the lips. Not wasting a second the former queen started kissing Emma back but broke the kiss after a few seconds "Do you remember when you said earlier you wanted to say or do something that would take the pain from me? The pain from watching you and our son leave?" Emma nodded not sure about what Regina was thinking about "This is it. You came back and found me. You need me but I need you. You took all the pain the second you whispered my name over that cake, that was the second when I knew you were coming back home to me and bringing our child with you. I love you too... Ms Swam. We will have to figure things out slowly between us and we will all have to think if we want to stay here or back home but you are not leaving my sight ever again dear". The blonde caressed Regina's face "home is anywhere with you and the kid, though the fact that you say home when talking about Storybrooke it says a lot..."

Regina nodded and kissed Emma again "I agree Ms Swam, home is you and Henry with me. Now now Storybrooke ... I miss my oven..."


End file.
